ICC takes away Champions Trophy hosting rights from Pakistan

Perth, Feb 1 (PTI) Citing lingering security problems, the International Cricket Council (ICC) Sunday withdrew the hosting rights of the Champions Trophy from Pakistan.

The ICC, after its two-day Board meeting here, said
conditions were unsuitable for hosting the prestigious event
in the trouble-torn country but Pakistan would still receive
hosting revenue.

The new venue will be decided before the next ICC Board
meeting in April.

The Champions Trophy had been postponed from 2008 to
September this year due to security concerns held by several
teams.

"The (ICC) Board accepted that, with several members
expressing reservations about touring Pakistan, it would be
prudent to relocate the event, scheduled for
September-October, from that country," the ICC said.

"In view of the challenges facing the Pakistan Cricket
Board (PCB) which are out of its control, the (ICC) Board
agreed that, irrespective of the location of the event,
Pakistan would retain the revenue due for hosting the
tournament," it added.

ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said "in the course of
next month the (ICC) Board will decide finally where the new
venue would be."

Lorgat said India's cancellation of its team's proposed
tour to Pakistan carried weight to other member Boards which
had earlier shown reluctance to play in Pakistan due to
security concerns.

"We all know what is transpiring in Pakistan and India
has now got a government directive not to tour, which adds
some weight to countries who had previously indicated they
were not keen to tour Pakistan," he said at a press conference
after the two-day ICC Board meeting.

"It is unfortunate ICC Champions Trophy will not take
place in Pakistan due to circumstances completely beyond the
control of the PCB. However, the (ICC) Board has accepted the
need for certainty in planning for and delivering a
world-class event and will now assess where the event should
be held," Lorgat said.

"The alternate nominee is Sri Lanka. There are just a few
things we want to iron out before we confirm that particular
as the alternate host," he added.

Lorgat said the ICC was committed to helping the PCB
organise future cricket tours, with the country struggling to
attract foreign teams.

"It (security) is completely outside the control of the
PCB, and we have offered to work with them to try and get a
task team to ascertain how best and when we can get
international cricket back into Pakistan," Lorgat said.

Pakistan went through 2008 without playing a Test match
as teams refused to tour the country, citing security fears.

The ICC Board also offered to form a task team to visit
Pakistan and work with the PCB to find ways to ensure that,
wherever possible, international cricket is played in the
country in the future.

PCB Chairman Ejaz Butt was among those who attended the
meeting, besides ICC President David Morgan, Vice-President
Sharad Pawar, Chief Executive Lorgat, Principal Advisor IS
Bindra and other chiefs of member boards.

The ICC Board also decided that the 2010 World Twenty20
Championship would be held in the West Indies. The women's
World Twenty20 event would also take place simultaneously at
same venues, just like the 2009 event in England.

"The (ICC) Board accepted the West Indies Cricket Board's
recommendation that the ICC World Twenty20 2010 be staged in
Barbados, Guyana and St Lucia," the ICC statement said. PTI